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What We Are UP To – Trying New Things in September 2019

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analyze change track graphics for September 2019

Disclosure: Occasionally we receive free products for review or include advertising links in posts, but no one impacts the honesty of our opinions. 

Every once in a while, I get on this kick to try new things. Keith isn’t as into this “need to change it up” exercise as I am, but he’s a good sport and occasionally admits that he enjoyed it. Here are the new things we’re trying in September.

Watching | Dead to Me

> I have a few Facebook friends watching this Netflix Original series, so I talked Keith into checking it out. It’s not something we would immediately choose for ourselves, but we’re trying new things this month, and we were immediately hooked! Just the right balance of emotions and lots of plot twists to keep it interesting. Can’t wait for Season 2!

Reading | Rare Breed

> Years ago, I met Sunny Bonnell and Ashleigh Hansberger at an event for women business owners. We’ve stayed in touch and I’m delighted to be one of the initial people to get my hands on their first book “Rare Breed” A Guide to Success for the Defiant, Dangerous, and Different”. The book includes a quiz so you can determine your “Rare Breed Virtue”. Mine is “I’m weird.” While I’ve always known that, it is a little different to be sharing that with others. LOL!

Remembering | Encore Careers

> We’ve been writing a lot on Unretirement Project about encore careers. It makes me think of my own professional journey. I’ve been a human resources professional for the majority of my career and that’s not changing but I also have this other aspect to my career in terms of HR Bartender and now, Unretirement Project. This September, it’s gratifying to think about the evolution of my career and how fortunate I’ve been. 

Working On | Crochet

> For years, my hobby has been beading. But I must admit that I can only wear so much jewelry. And I find it fun to break my jewelry apart and remake it into something new. So I’m on the search for a new hobby and I saw an article about a knitting/crocheting group that makes items for adults, kids, and animals in need. This seems like a win-win. I get a hobby and others get a needed item. Now I just need to learn how to crochet… 

Feeling | Relieved!

> When we moved from South to North Florida, one of the things we were hoping not to deal with anymore was hurricanes. That being said, Hurricane Dorian decided to test our hurricane prep skills early in September. The good news is that we are just fine. The bad news is we have a pile of non-perishable junk food around the house. ha.ha. Seriously, we hope everyone is safe and if you’re looking for a way to help, check out the Amazon wish list for the Bahamian Red Cross.

Planning | Road trips

> Keith and I usually plan a fall vacation, but this year, we’ve decided to do try something we haven’t done for a while. Instead of one long vacation, we’re doing a few shorter ones. Will probably stay in the state and do some road trips.  It’s nice to be a tourist in your own state. The Florida Turnpike is an easy to navigate highway. It will be fun figuring out where to go and what to see.

Loving | Allbirds

> I’ve been reading all of the hype about Allbirds, the shoe that claims to be the most comfortable things you’ll ever wear on your feet. Oh, and they’re eco-friendly too. They are also pricey for shoes. Comfy shoes are important to me, so I decided to try something different from my go-to sneakers and see if they’re worth the hype. And, yes they are. Allbirds are very comfortable. I did pick up their new socks and they’re kinda meh but the shoes are super comfy. 

Geeking | Apple AirPods

> I splurged the other day and purchased a pair of Apple AirPods. I’ve been worried about buying them because I didn’t want to lose them. But I finally moved past my fears in September and I’m so glad. They are wonderful. Easy to keep charged. Great reception. I’ve actually used them for a couple of podcasts and the tech producers said I sound good. I still haven’t left the house with them, but every day I get a bit more comfortable. 

What’s UP with you?

Bookmark This! Encore Careers Edition

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airport sign upgrade your resume land anywhere you want for encore careers

When it comes to retirement planning, one of the biggest questions we have to answer is “What am I going to do?” For many of us, we’ve spent the majority of our lives defining ourselves by the work we do both inside and outside the home.

As we think about retirement, we have to redefine our relationship with “work”.

Some people include in their retirement planning to enter a second career, also referred to as an encore career. We’ve written some articles about encore careers and wanted to put them all in one place as a reference guide.

What’s an Encore Career and Why You Might Want One – Encore careers may offer many solutions in retirement. But we have to plan carefully and choose wisely. To start, learn what encore careers really are.

4 Ways to Find a Thriving Encore Career – Encore careers should be rewarding, interesting and fun! But AARP says don’t cling to a dying profession. Here are 4 ways to find thriving encore careers.

Figuring Out What to Pursue as an Encore Career – Your encore career path should be carefully planned because you don’t just want to just take any job. You still want to enjoy your work and be fulfilling.

A Career Coach Can Help You Find Your Encore Career – In the gig economy, an encore career can be a big part of unretirement. Career Sherpa Hannah Morgan shows the value of a career coach in finding your gig.

Journal Your Encore Career Experience – Encore careers can offer freedom and success in retirement. Document your encore career path in a journal to identify what works well and future plans.

Using Volunteerism to Find Your Dream Job – Encore careers can be an important part of retirement planning. But how do you start? Volunteerism could be a good way to get started in your encore career.

Encore Careers Can Offer Independence – Encore careers may offer the independence you need for a successful and fulfilling retirement. With proper planning, we can benefit from an encore career.

5 Steps for Finding Your Encore Career – An encore career is something to consider as part of your retirement strategy. Start the conversation early to plan for your future unretirement.

We hope you find these resources helpful as you’re thinking about whether to pursue an encore career and how to go about doing it. If you have any questions about finding an encore career, drop us a note via our contact page. We’d love to hear from you and answer your questions here on Unretirement Project.

Spend Safely: Stanford Study on Retirement Planning Strategies

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sorry not working out of order sign similar to retirement

If only we had a nickel for every article about financing retirement . . . well, let’s just say our retirement would be complete! Retirement planning strategies can vary widely for one important reason – everyone is different. What works well for you might not work at all for me. So, the best we can do is gather information, examine our own situation, and make educated decisions that will benefit us when we retire.

That’s why I was happy to come across the “Viability of the Spend Safely in Retirement Strategy” report on aging and retirement, published last month by the Society of Actuaries’ Committee on Post Retirement Needs and Risks. Don’t let the name of the report scare you away . . . my takeaway from the 80-page report can be broken down into two key areas:

  1. Optimize your Social Security benefits.
  2. Use the IRS Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) rules to generate a retirement “paycheck”.

First, a little background. The study was conducted by Stanford University, where they analyzed 292 possible retirement planning strategies, using eight different metrics to measure how a particular strategy might meet retirement income goals. The results of the study were published in 2017 with the goal of providing a framework for helping people approaching retirement age make important life decisions.

The first key point about optimizing Social Security benefits is pretty straightforward, and you probably know it already – hold off claiming Social Security payments as long as possible. You can draw payments as early as age 62, but there are financial advantages to waiting until the IRS mandated age of 70. That being said, I have been seeing quite a few articles lately extoling the virtues of claiming as early as possible, so do your research to determine what strategy works best for you.

Once you reach the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) age, that’s when key point number two kicks in and you need to claim your Social Security payment. In addition, the Stanford report suggests that you also start collecting that retirement “paycheck” from your individual retirement account (IRA) or 401(K) account. How much you want to withdraw changes as you age, so make sure you know your IRS requirements. The report recommends at a rate of 3.65% of the total. Remember, you are only required to make the withdrawal – you don’t have to spend it. You have the option to pay income tax on the withdrawal and reinvest all or part of the after-tax proceeds, depending on your financial situation.

My takeaway from this report was that if we plan our financial strategy using this model, then we can use the time between age 62 and 70 to ease into phased retirement. This is what unretirement is all about! Talk with your employer to work out flexible scheduling and develop a plan to transition into a limited work arrangement. Employers are looking for ways to keep senior talent engaged so it could be a win for everyone. Or you could try a limited work arrangement in a field you’ve always loved.

The full report is not a difficult read so check it out if you can. There is a great section that points out the primary advantages and disadvantage of this strategy. And it’s important to remember that most investments are always subject to risks as well as bonuses depending on market fluctuations. I like that the study is the culmination of analyzing 292 retirement planning strategies. That can make it a good foundation for safe spending in your retirement.

Encore Careers – Part Four: Journal Your Experience

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Garden path as a metaphor for encore careers path

One of the takeaways I’ve tried to stress in this series about encore careers is that it is a path or process that takes time.

Whenever I’m working on a long-term process, I like to think about journaling as a way to keep track of my thoughts. Consider creating an encore career journal to help you document your decisions, skills, and future plans. Here are five things about journals to keep in mind:

  1. Pick a format that suits you. The great thing about journals today is that they can be paper or electronic. Use whatever works best for you. Personally, I love paper and like the idea of rereading my comments. It can help me make decisions. A Bullet Journal might be perfect for the task.
  2. Dedicate it to a single idea. If you already journal, then you might want to create a separate journal focused on unretirement or encore careers. That way all of your thoughts and ideas are in a single place. For a few years, I kept a secret board on Pinterest focused on “unretirement”.
  3. Stuff articles and reminders in them. This is kinda related to the last point. Whether you read an article online or via a paper magazine, you can cut/paste them into your journal. If you’re a visual person, you could create a vision board focused on your unretirement journey or encore career.
  4. Be flexible with your schedule. Because I suspect developing your encore career plan is going to take some time, a journal allows you to set it to the side when life gets busy and pick it up later. The important part is not to forget about it. That might be one advantage to a paper journal, it could stare back at you.
  5. Allow it to help you. What I mean by that is give yourself permission to not know everything. Your unretirement and encore career is a journey. Write down your thoughts and let them sit there. You don’t have to take action right away. At some point, you might want to share your journal with a family member or a retirement coach. 

Journals are an effective way to document your ideas, thoughts, and feelings about a subject. They give you time to think things through and organize information. Your retirement is one of the most important things you will do. It deserves a little planning. You’re never too young to start. 

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm in Maui, HI

Encore Careers Can Offer Independence

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NASA Vehicle Assembly Building United States Flag symbol of Independence Day

Today is Independence Day in the United States. And what better day to think about our own personal independence. More importantly for our retirement, does an encore career factor into it?

You may recognize the building in the picture above. It’s the NASA Vehicle Assembly Building (also known as the VAB) located in Cape Canaveral. This week, Sharlyn and I had the honor of visiting as a guest of the NASA social media team to watch their latest launch of the Orion capsule.

I’m happy to say that the launch was a huge success! But, on the drive to the Cape, I thought about everything that went into this launch. The years of planning and thousands of man-hours from NASA and their private partners. Personally, Sharlyn and I needed the independence to make the trip – in terms of both time and money.

In retirement, we get the time to spend doing the things we really love. But for many of us, the lack of money in retirement could limit our independence. Balancing our retirement stop-working date with our future financial requirements is something we all need to do.

So we need to plan for that! And an encore career could offer a solution. None of us can predict the future but we can plan based on what we know. There are many free resources from the Social Security Administration that can help. Spend a little time between the barbecue and fireworks and see how independent you can be in retirement.

We have often said that successful retirement needs a lot of planning. Knowing your financial needs and the limits of Social Security are important. Just as important is understanding your personal contribution to retirement finances. And that could go a long way toward your own independence.

Retirement Planning: 5 Reasons to Have a Stop Working Date

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park bench sitting, retirement, retirement planning, encore career

There’s an excellent read over on the Considerable blog titled, “How long will you be able to work?” Regardless of your current age, one of the questions that individuals should ask themselves is, “When would I like to stop working?” Picking a possible retirement date – and I do mean possible – allows individuals to have a starting point in their retirement planning. And that planning date is important for several reasons:

  1. Think about a Plan B just in case you need to retire before the date you’ve chosen. Let’s say you’ve decided to stop working at age 70. But something happens when you’re 65 and you might need to retire sooner. I hear stories of individuals retiring early to care for their health or the health of a family member. What does a Plan B look like? And can you kick it into gear should you need it?
  2. Consider having two dates: a part-time date and a full-time one. Instead of going from fully employed to fully retired, does it make sense to think about a phased strategy? You could transition to part-time at 65 and then fully retire at 70. Of course, I’m just throwing out ages here. You have to decide what makes sense for you. This could also make a lot of sense when trying to coordinate your retirement and your spouse or partner.
  3. Use a retirement date to map out the transition to an encore career. I know several people in their 40s who work insane hours and travel a lot. They love their lifestyle right now but at some point, want to find a different pace of work. Selecting a retirement date (or dates as in #2) could help with planning an encore or second career. Especially if that next career involves getting some additional education or a certification.  
  4. Reflect on how your retirement date impacts savings and spending. It goes without saying – but I’ll say it anyway, our decision to slow down or stop working impacts our finances. When retirement planning, we do have to think about how the bills will get paid and we can maintain our lifestyle. In fact, we might want to consider making some lifestyle decisions well in advance, so we can get used to them.
  5. Get yourself mentally ready for a change. I’ve always been a person who needs a full-plate of activity. I am getting myself ready for retirement to be a major change. It’s one of the reasons we started this blog. As you think about an approaching retirement date, ask yourself if you’re ready. Do you need to think about starting a hobby? I’m not joking. I do believe many people retire without a plan and get bored.

It’s very easy to simply pick the government’s age for collecting Social Security as your retirement date. But if I had a dollar for every person who turned 62 or 65 and said, “I’m not ready yet.” I would be retired right now. LOL! No one is holding you to that date. It’s simply a placeholder for planning.

And retirement planning is important.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby somewhere in North Carolina

Your 5 Day Plan to Use Instagram in Unretirement

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Instagram, social media, logo, retirement, Unretirement

We have been showcasing the use of social media sites to help with marketing in your encore career. Whether your goal is to work as a freelancer or you plan to extend corporate work, social media can play a significant role. Demonstrating your skills with these platforms could make you a more marketable employee. So far, we’ve talked about Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. If you haven’t check them out, you can find them here:

Your 5 Day Plan to Using Facebook

Your 5 Day Plan to Using LinkedIn

Your 5 Day Plan to Using Twitter

You might be wondering why you should pay attention to Instagram if you’re already using one or all of the social channels we’ve already covered. You will see as we explore Instagram, there are some very unique aspects to this medium. As such, there are many users who spend hours on their accounts – – far more than any other site. So, as any fisherman or marketer will tell you, you need to be where your audience is!

What is Instagram?

Instagram is a free photo and video sharing app where subscribers can upload graphics and share them with their followers. Instagram launched in 2010 and quickly grew in popularity with more the 1 billion registered users as of May 2019. They were acquired by Facebook in 2012 and are arguably the most popular social media site in operation.

The reason for the popularity? Images! The main focus of Instagram is visual, and this has attracted a huge amount of creativity. It allows users to get a glimpse of the lives of their favorite celebrities and engage with beloved brands at the same time they enjoy vacation and children photos from friends and family. 

You can sign up for Instagram easily and, like all other social sites, it’s free to create an account. 

Your 5 Day Plan to Learning Instagram

DAY 1 – Download the Instagram App. The whole idea behind Instagram is to quickly and easily share images and video you capture with your mobile devise. For that reason, it’s easier to use the mobile app which is available for iOS or Android.

DAY 2 – Start Following. Like most social sites, you have a feed that will showcase the people and brands you follow. At the bottom of your screen you will see a magnifying glass so click on that. Here you can enter names of people you know and follow elsewhere or topics you find engaging – like retirement. Just like with Twitter, hashtags will bring users with similar interests together. If you find an image you like, click on it to launch a window with all the posts within the hashtag. From here, you can immediately follow them simply by clicking “Follow” or click on their user name to see everything they’ve shared. After a short while, clicking on the magnifying glass will give you recommendations on people and brands to follow based on your interests and likes.

Day 3 – Engage, engage, engage. Social media is all about engagement and Instagram is no different. Now that you have people, brands and hashtags to follow, you are bound to find photos and videos you really like. If so, go ahead and click on the “heart” under the image. That will tell the person – and Instagram – that you like it. You can also post a comment by clicking on the “word balloon” or you can “heart” other peoples’ comments. Pay attention to the hashtags that your followers share. If you like their content, chances are good that their hashtags will lead you to others who share similar – but different – images.

Day 4 – Post a Photo. By now, you should be pretty comfortable getting around the app. You found some people to engage with and you want them to interact with you. It’s time to post a photo! Once you have a subject, take 2 – 3 photos at different angles. At the bottom of the Instagram app is a plus sign – clicking on that will bring up your camera roll where you can choose the best image to share. Click on the image then click “Next”. This will take you to an editing screen where you can quickly edit the shot before posting. Or you can quickly apply a “filter” which applies a preprogrammed set of attributes to your image. For now, just keep it normal and click “Next” again. In this screen, you can say something about the image (don’t forget hashtags), tag people, and add location information before sharing. 

Day 5 – Set Audience Goals. To be really successful at something, we need to have goals. As you can see with Instagram, like most social channels, success is centered around growing your audience. And growing an audience takes more following, posting and engaging. You can make your goal to follow 5 new people every day and follow one new hashtag every week. Set aside 20 minutes every morning to like images and share comments. And don’t forget to snap some photos and share them as well. Remember, there aren’t any shortcuts for this so just schedule the time. Before you know it, you will have a fun and engaging audience!

BONUS! Repost for Instagram. You may have noticed that Instagram differs from most social platforms in that they don’t easily allow you to share other people’s images. The idea behind Instagram is to informally let others get to know “the real you” through pictures. So, they want you to share YOUR pictures. Fortunately, enterprising app developers have created independent apps that will allow you to repost what other people share. Just look for them wherever you download your mobile apps.

Instagram has set itself apart from other social platforms by creating a unique and exciting ecosystem and remaining true to their brand. That should be a lesson for all of us! Another thing to know is that 80% of Instagram users follow a business brand. That shows the power of Instagram in brand marketing. Just think what it can do for your personal brand in Unretirement!